United Way of the Bluegrass recently named Stites & Harbison the inaugural winner of the Raising the Bar award. From left: Carrie Marshall, Stites & Harbison; Chad Rudzik, chairman, United Way Fayette County Board of Trustees; Ken Sagan, chairman, Stites & Harbison; Mike Hockensmith, chairman, United Way board of directors; Greg Parsons, office executive member for Lexington office of Stites & Harbison; Bill Farmer, United Way president; and Cassidy Rosenthal, president, Fayette County Bar Association.

United Way of the Bluegrass recently named Stites & Harbison the inaugural winner of the Raising the Bar award. From left: Carrie Marshall, Stites & Harbison; Chad Rudzik, chairman, United Way Fayette County Board of Trustees; Ken Sagan, chairman, Stites & Harbison; Mike Hockensmith, chairman, United Way board of directors; Greg Parsons, office executive member for Lexington office of Stites & Harbison; Bill Farmer, United Way president; and Cassidy Rosenthal, president, Fayette County Bar Association.

Business awards: Week of Feb. 4

■ The Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce annual awards dinner was Jan. 24 at the R.J. Corman Hangar in Nicholasville. The winners for 2012 are: Rob Amburgey, Civic Award; Horne Engineering, Small Business of the Year; Safety Resource Officers Jacob Jones, James "Griff" Howard, Billy King, and Sam Wade, President's Award; Kentucky Underground Storage Inc., Industry Award; Connie Sunda, Service Award; Dave Latham, Hall of Fame; S&S Tire, New Business of the Year; Geri Polvino of Edward Jones, Outstanding Business Leader of the Year; Sam's Club, Business of the Year; and Cathy Lowe, Chamber Ambassador of the Year.

■ Messer Construction Co. has been recognized by the Tri-State Minority Supplier Development Council, as Agavé Keystone Corp. of the Year with less than 1,000 employees for the eighth year in a row. Messer was chosen by a panel of certified minority business owners for its inclusion efforts in both Louisville and Lexington.

In 2012, Messer had a total corporate supplier diversity spend of almost 12 percent, or about $85 million.

■ More than 20 employees of the Big Ass Fan Co., ranging from engineers to sales personnel, have passed LEED certification exams. Most recently, 16 members of the sales staff have earned the LEED Green Associate credential.

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■ United Way of the Bluegrass has named Stites & Harbison as the inaugural winner of the Raising the Bar award. The firm raised nearly $20,000 for the United Way campaign with the highest participation per capita among all local law firms.

Raising the Bar is a new initiative at United Way of the Bluegrass as a way for Lexington-area law firms to "raise the bar" on their community outreach efforts.